Wheel.



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Patented June 16,1914.

WHEEL.

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Inventor IIN:

F. G. PIGKBRING.

APPLIOATTON FILED FEB. l1, 1910.

Witnesses Attorheys F. G. PICKERING.

WHEEL.

APPLIQATION FILED FEB. 11, 1910.

Patented June 16,1914,

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

FREDERICK G. PIGKERING, OF NEW GLASGOW, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-EIGHTH TO GUY C. BORIGHT, OF FARNI-IAM, CANADA, ANI) SEVEN-EIGHTHSTO WILLIAM RUTI-IERFORD, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

WHEEL.

Liconsa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed February 11, 1910. Serial N0. 543,323.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. PICK- ERING,a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at New Glasgow, countyof Pictou, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Wheels; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to vehicle wheels, andmore particularly to means for adjusting the spokes.

1n order to more clearly disclose the construction, operation and use ofthe invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawingsforming part of the present application.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings, like referencecharacters designate the same parts.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of one half of a wheel,with the invention applied; Fig. 2 is a central cross section of awheel, showing one form of the invention, applied; Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the outer sleeve; and Fig. 4C is a side elevation of oneform of adjusting wedge.

The main object of the invention is to provide a simple and economicalspoke tightening and spoke clamping device for the staggered spoke typeof wheel.

A further and secondary object is that of providing a means forcorrecting the dish of one set of the spokes, independently of the otherset of spokes.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 indicates an outside cylindricalsleeve provided with a central tapered flange 2, hav ing a plurality ofbolt openings 3 extending therethrough at equal distances from itscenter. The flange 2 is adaptedto act as a separator for the alternatespokes 4 of the wheel. In order to hold these spokes in position on thesleeve and close against the flange 2, collars 5 and clamping bolts 6are used. The bolts, of course, are passed through openings in thecollars and spokes, as well as through the openings 3 in the flange 2.The openings in the spokes are slightly elongated as shown in Fig. 2 topermit slight relative vertical movement of the spokes on the bolts, fortightening the spokes and for correcting the dish of thewheel, all aswill appear more clearly in the following de scription. A taperedannular wedging member 7 is carried by each collar and adapted to bedrawn forcibly between the sleeve and spoke ends to exert a powerful,outward spreading movement of the spokes from the sleeve toward the rimof the wheel, to tighten the spokes. Preferably the member 7 isadjustable with relation to its collar, though this is by no means anecessity. The most desirable connection between the collar and thewedging member is a set of coopera-ting screw-threads on each. Eachcollar had a minimum diameter slightly greater than the maximum diameterof the sleeve 1. The inner diameter of the wcdging members 7 is justabout equal to this maximum diameter, permitting the wedging membereither to slide longitudinally on the sleeve 1, or to rotate thereon.

In assembling the wheel, the spokes will be arranged alternately onopposite sides of the flange 2 with the bolt openings alined with thebolt openings through the flange 2 and the collars 5 with theirconnected wedges 7 will then be slipped on the ends of the sleeve andmoved toward flange 2 with their openings proper alined with theopenings through the spokes and t-he flange; and clamping bolts 6 willthen be passed through all of the alined openings. When the nuts areturned down tight on the threaded ends of the clamping bolts 6, the `twocollars 5 will be drawn toward each other and toward the center flange.As the collars move in ward they will force the wedging members 7between the sleeve 1 and the spoke ends. This will effect a powerfuloutward spreading movement of the spokes from the sleeve toward the rimor tire. The spreading action on both sides of the flange will be equaland simultaneous, of course.

During the use of the wheel it may be slightly dished on one side ort-he other. An adjustable connection such as that described, betweeneach collar and its wedging member, may be used to counteract this. Tothis end, each of the wedging members is provided with sockets, notchesor recesses 9 in its outer surface to receive the prong of a spanncr orlike tool for giving the wedging member a rotary movement relatively toits collar. Due to the screw-thread connection between the collar andwedging member, the wedging member will either be drawn in by the collaror forced out by it, as it is turned by the spanner. In this way, it ispossible to quickly and accurately counteract any dishing of the wheelon either side of the central flange 2. Likewise, adjustment on one sidemay be entirely independent of any adjustment on the other side.

The outer sleeve 1 is mounted on the inner sleeve 10, and is connectedthereto by lugs 11 projecting from the sleeve 10 and fitting intocooperating notches 12 in the sleeve 1. Relative longitudinal movementof the sleeves in one direction is prevented by a collar 13 extendingaround the inner end of the sleeve 1, while like movement in theopposite direction is prevented by an overlapping nut 14 threaded on theproject-ing end of the axle 15. 1Within the inner sleeve is mounted aroller bearing cage 16 adapted to contain a plurality of rollerbearings, 17. A collar 18 is formed on the axle l5, and the rollerbearing cage and sleeves 1 and 10 are all held in place on the aXlebetween this shoulder and the nut 14.

In order to prevent the entranceof dirt and other injurious substances,a dust cap 19 has been provided. This cap is provided with interiorthreads adapted to cooperate with the threaded portion 20 of the outersleeve 1. In this way, the cap completely incloses the ends of thesleeves, the end of the roller bearing cage, and the overlapping nut.

It is thought that the operation and use tion, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wheel of the character described comprising a rim, a sleeveprovided with a central flange, spokes connected at one end to said rimand having their opposite ends arranged alternately on opposite sides ofsaid central flange, clamping collars movable on said sleevelongitudinally of the latter, means for drawing said collarssimultaneously and by the same devices toward the central llange of saidsleeve to clamp the ends of the spokes therebetween, wedging membersslidably mounted directly on said sleeve beneath said spoke ends andmoved to operative position by means of said collars.

2. A wheel of the character described comprising a rim, a sleeveprovided with a central lange, spokes connected at one end to said rimand having their opposite ends arranged alternately on opposite sides ofsaid central flange, clamping collars arranged on opposite sides of saidcentral flange, wedging members carried by said collars and adapted toenter between said sleeve and the spoke ends, means for drawing saidcollars toward said central llangc to clamp the spoke ends therebetweenand force said wedging members to operative position, and means formoving either ol. said wedging members relatively to its eollar andindependently of the other oil said wedging members.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

FREDERICK Gr. PICKERING.

TWitnesses JEAN E. DoUKIN, OLDrNs MURRAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

